8/29/2025 Southeast Asia (International Christian Concern) — In the nations of Bhutan and Myanmar, both of which are Buddhist-majority nations, Christians continue to experience persecution by Buddhist extremists. It often comes in the form of physical attacks, restrictive laws, and societal pressure to deny Christ.

In Bhutan, Christians are routinely denied access to burial plots and the right to express their faith in public. National legislation requires religious groups to register with the Commission for Religious Organizations (CRO). The law states that the CRO must “‘ensure that religious institutions and personalities promote the spiritual heritage of the country by developing a society ‘rooted in Buddhist ethos,’” according to the U.S. Department of State.

Bhutanese law restricts unregistered religious groups from public worship, and the CRO regularly leaves Christian applications unanswered and unaddressed. Without the necessary registration needed to congregate, believers are left to gather together privately and, therefore, illegally.

In Myanmar, also known as Burma, “to be Burmese is to be Buddhist” was a sentiment echoed by Buddhist nationalists for many years. In February, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a hearing to discuss the deteriorating religious freedoms in the nation. Meir Soloveichik, vice chair of USCIRF, spoke during the hearing.

“Over the past four years, Burma has sunk into a human rights and humanitarian abyss,” Soloveichik said. “The Burmese military [has] targeted ethnic and religious minorities for more than two decades … seeking to maintain its grip on power and achieve a Buddhist nationalist vision for Burma [Myanmar].”

Many Christians have been killed or forced to flee due to the military’s Buddhist superiority ambitions. According to Open Doors, “government forces have continued to disproportionately attack Christian villages and churches. They have also killed Christian aid workers and pastors, often in aerial attacks.”

Various Myanmar communities reportedly want to remain purely Buddhist, which also leads to greater Christian persecution.

As International Christian Concern reported in March, Thian Lian Sang, a Baptist pastor, was arrested in Myanmar in September 2021 for his “leadership role” as a pastor, according to USCIRF. Sang received a 23-year prison sentence in December 2022.

And what happened to Sang is just one of many examples of Christians being persecuted for their faith in the Southeast Asian nation.

Salai Za Uk Ling, executive director at the Chin Human Rights Organization, also spoke during the March USCIRF hearing.

“Since the military coup in Burma four years ago, we have witnessed a systematic campaign of religious persecution, particularly targeting the Christian population in Chin state,” Ling stated. “These attacks are not collateral damage but part of a deliberate strategy to erase the religious and cultural identity of the Chin people as Christians.”

Buddhist nationalism continues to pervade Bhutan and Myanmar, to the detriment of Christian minorities living in the nations. Although many believers endure persecution because of Buddhist-superior agendas in these nations, Christian suffering remains largely under the global media’s radar, lending unawareness and indifference to their plight.

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